


A Lesson in Reason

by Paraselene_Spear



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 15:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21914305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paraselene_Spear/pseuds/Paraselene_Spear
Summary: Byleth assigns Annette as Felix's tutor for reason. They attempt to work together.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	A Lesson in Reason

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Annette ignored her subject’s question as she continued to reposition his limbs. 

“Leg goes this way...fingers curled in...arm extended like this- hey! Felix! Stop moving, you’re ruining everything!”

The young man in question had shrugged himself free from Annette’s grasp and huffed in annoyance.

“This is pointless.”

She rolled her eyes.

“It’s only pointless because you won’t work with me.”

“That was before I found out ‘working’ meant you putting your hands all over my body.”

She grunted in irritation despite her face growing red from the comment.

“Don’t say it like that! Besides, you said you were having trouble figuring out the motions, so I thought I’d show you.”

“Couldn’t you show me without manhandling me like I’m some animal?”

He was giving her a pointed look, the _jerk_. And after everything she had done for him so far. She tried a different avenue of approach.

“Look, you’re the one who wanted to study more in-depth into reason, and the professor _specifically_ gave me this task to help tutor you. I don’t want to go back to him and tell him this project didn’t pan out because you weren’t cooperating.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying this is _my _fault?”

_Got him._

“I don’t know,” she said, trying to appear uninterested. “I don’t see any other difficult, _grumpy_ students here. I’ve helped other classmates before, and they weren’t this stubborn. A shame, really.”

She looked at him to find Felix giving her a scrutinizing glare just as sharp as the blades he wielded. 

“_Is that so?” _

Despite his voice sounding like the one he used before he cut down bandits, she refused to falter. He asked to learn, and, goddess help her, she was going to make him whether he liked it or not. 

They had gone into a full-blown staring contest, Felix’s dark, challenging, _<strike>handsome- wait what</strike>_ eyes locked with her own defiant look.

Felix breathed out a mocking sound and started walking towards her, his face more determined than before. “Fine. Do what you will. Only to show you that I’m better than those other students, and we’re struggling because of _you_.

She jumped and clapped in delight at her plan working. “Sure, sure! Whatever you say. Now, stand here.”

Say what you will about Felix Hugo Fraldarius, but he had a competitive edge and the need to be the best. Annette was fully aware and even admired that quality, _<strike>along with others</strike>_. If she needed Felix to listen to her, she decided that she just needed to...exploit that nature.

Felix had resumed standing in the designated area and waited for her to begin her work. 

“Trust me, Felix. By the time I’m through with this, you’ll be casting in no time!”

Too engaged in her work because of her newfound energy, she didn’t notice the boy avert his gaze, a bit of color filling in his cheeks.

“Yeah. Sure.”

* * *

_Professor Byleth had requested she stay in the classroom after the lecture had ended, and here she was, waiting, nervously fidgeting about. The professor was at his desk reviewing some papers, oblivious to the dread he was instilling into her._

_Was she in trouble? Is she getting expelled? Is this about that one time she had accidentally blown the professor’s pants off with a poorly aimed Wind spell in training? Oh, that’s it, the professor had called her to exact his revenge-_

_“Annette.”_

_She shrieked and sprang out of her seat, the chair behind her tumbling to the ground. “GAH- Ah, yes, professor? How can I help you?”_

_The man’s usual blank expression didn’t change, though he did peer behind her to check if the chair had survived. She would fix that later, if she was still alive._

_“I just wanted to ask for your assistance with something, if you wouldn’t mind.”_

_She deflated in relief before filling herself back up with positive energy._

_“Of course! I’m happy to help! What do you need?”_

_“One of your classmates has informed me that they wanted to start studying reason and black magic, though they don’t have much prior experience. I was wanting to ask if you would be willing to help tutor them and get them up to speed since you have the highest marks in the subject in our class.”_

_She tried not to let that last tidbit nor the fact that the professor was specifically asking for her help get to her head, but she was feeling proud of herself. She patted herself on the back. Mentally. 'You go Annette.'_

_“I’d be happy to help! Who is it?”_

_At that moment, a new presence had decided to make itself known behind her._

_“Ahem.”_

_She whirled around to come face to face with Felix. He looked away._

_“Woah, Felix. Were you here the entire time? What do you need?”_

_The professor took the opportunity to walk between them. “Felix will be the one you’re tutoring. Despite the new topic for him, he’s adamant about learning, so his first exam over the subject will be within the week. A bit soon, but he made it clear that he'll be able to work it out with some help.”_

_“Yeah, whatever.” _

_The raven-haired swordsman made an affirmative noise, his line of sight still angled away from them. Meanwhile, Annette was still coming to terms with the fact that Felix of all people was the one she had been paired up with. Did the professor have no mercy? How could she teach Felix who was as obstinate as a rock being told to move? Why her? And why was she starting to feel excited about this?  
_

_Evil professor. Evil Felix. _

_The professor took Felix’s mumbled words and her silence as an appropriate answer. He made for the exit. “Have fun, you two. I expect good results.”_

_And with the shutting of the door, the two were left alone, unable to look at each other. _

_Felix let out a noise that may have been a cough. “So…reason magic. Will you help?”_

_He sounded so unsure. How sweet. _

_She slapped her palms to her cheeks to mentally check herself. _

_"Sure. Let's get to it."_

* * *

“Okay...one more time. You got this!”

“Don’t chastise me.”

Felix took a deep breath and readied into the beginning stance, preparing to go through the motions of casting his first spell. Annette had estimated that this was probably the seventeenth time she’s watched him do this. She couldn’t complain too much, however. Casting for the first time was no easy task. He had listened to her, and now it was just up to him to make it work.

She watched him carefully pull his right arm back and extend his left arm forward. He rotated his left hand and slowly attempted to form the correct sequence of runes and symbols within the casting circle. Around this point, the circle would blink out of existence, and Felix would mutter a curse, but the circle stayed and continued to form a more solid shape.

She leaned intently as Felix slowly but surely made progress. She watched with bated breath as the casting preparation was completed, and he shot his right arm forward.

A bolt of Thunder magic struck the training dummy.

Annette cheered loudly, her arms raised in the sky in pride and relief. Felix, though breathing heavily as if the wind had been knocked out of him, had as close to a full smile Annette had ever seen him have. He was marveling at his right hand. 

“I…did it...huh…”

Filled with too much excitement, she jumped on the unsuspecting noble’s back and latched her arms around him.

“Yeah, you did it! That was so cool! I wasn’t expecting you to get it so soon but look at you, and- oh, also you’re probably winded because casting magic for the first time is strenuous, but then you’ll get used to it and bam! You’ll be blasting bolts left and right! Ah, this is so exciting, I can't wait until you get to some more advanced stuff, and we can really see what you can do! I gotta give you some notes now that you-”

Despite her launching sentences at him faster than he could process, he let her continue, though not for long. He would’ve listened more if not for one thing.

“Hey. Annette.”

“-and then you’ll be like a lightning storm and- oh, yeah, what is it, Felix?”

He only looked at her face which was in very close proximity since she was still attached to him like a baby monkey. She looked back, puzzled, before she realized. She jumped off him.

“Oh! Sorry, sorry…”

She shuffled away from him looking much redder than before. If he wasn’t so exhausted, he’d even say it was cute. 

“Annette,” he called out. The redhead seemed conflicted on whether to look at him or hide her embarrassment.

“Uh...yeah?”

He tried to think of a more appropriate way to put it into words, but he decided it was easier to just spit it out.

“Thanks...I guess.”

He watched her. She looked surprised, processing the information, before she beamed a bright, full smile for him.

“No problem, Felix.”

* * *

The professor took a sip of his tea and placed a piece of paper before Felix, the latter on the other end of the table. Felix set down his cup and picked up the sheet. 

It was his recent exam on reason.

Full marks.

“You did well, Felix. Excellent job.”

“Of course. No need to butter me up.”

The man didn’t say anything and instead let the sound of the cool afternoon breeze fill the silence. After a moment, he spoke again.

“I’m impressed you and Annette managed to work through as much material as you did in such a short time.”

He didn’t say anything, the sudden mention of the sorcerer stopping him in his tracks.

"Mm," was all he managed to get out.

“I suppose Annette is a rather eager partner. You made a good decision in specifically requesting her assistance.”

His mouth thinned, and he looked away from the professor hoping to hide his appearance. Mustering up the courage to ask the professor had taken him days, but he would dig his own grave and drop himself in there before letting anyone know about that.

Still, he sipped from his cup of tea and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Yeah. I guess I did. 


End file.
